Homemade Pasta Recipe
I cannot express how much I love homemade pasta. I make it at least once a week. I’m actually a pasta snob now and REFUSE to eat boxed pasta from the grocery store because it CANNOT HOLD A CANDLE to homemade pasta. It’s relatively easy to make and is sure to impress.
If you have a Kitchenaid, it’ll be a walk in the park. If you’re like me and do NOT have a Kitchenaid (because it’s sitting in limbo on your wedding registry that you may never get to have thanks to coronavirus), you can still make some great pasta although it is a smidge more tedious.
Things you’ll need if you DON’T have a kitchenaid:
A pasta maker (like this one).
An electric mixer with a dough hook. I’ve done it with my hands, but in my experience you get more out of your dough when you use a mixer.
A mixing bowl (duh)
A pasta partner in crime (sorry I’m the worst). You’ll need someone to crank while you feed the pasta through or vice versa.
Now the absolute KEY when making pasta is to keep it floured so that it doesn’t get sticky. We’ll talk more about that later, but let’s get into why you’re all here – THE RECIPE.
NOTE: Below I’m cooking my pasta immediately. If you don’t want to eat it immediately, you’ll need a drying rack (like this one). Hang your cut pasta immediately on the drying rack for about 30 minutes. Pack it up and toss it in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for up to a week.
Homemade Pasta Recipe:
2 ½ cups flour
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Add your flour and salt to a mixing bowl. Flour your counter or work area. Create a well in the center of your flour and crack your eggs into it.
Begin mixing with your electric mixer and dough hook. Once the dough starts to come together and get a little dry, add your olive oil and continue to mix.
Once your dough is holding together into a ball, bring it out of the bowl and knead into a ball on your floured counter. Feel free to knead in some flour if it’s really sticky.
Cut your dough into 4 pieces and flour the outside. It’s time to grab your pasta partner (again, so sorry I’m the most annoying).
You will work your way from the lowest setting of your pasta maker (mine is 0) to about level 4 or 5. I feed through about 2-3 times on the lower levels (0, 1, 2, and 3) and 1-2 times on the higher levels (4 and 5).
After the first feed through on your lower levels, fold your pasta into a rectangle (folding twice) and feed that rectangle through again. Flour your pasta generously on each side between each feed if it’s feeling sticky. Stickyness will result in your pasta getting stuck on the maker, and holes in your pasta. Keep on cranking.
Once you get to level 4 or 5, you don’t have to fold your pasta. I sometimes fold mine in half on these levels but will never do more than that. If you do fold it in half, make sure to press the dough down on itself before feeding it through.
Change your handle from the flatten feature to the cutting feature on your pasta maker.
Cut your pasta (I usually do linguini sized, but they do have a more spaghetti looking size). Add to boiling water. Your pasta is done cooking once it floats, about 2-4 minutes.
Kitchenaid Recipe:
Follow step 1 above adding in your olive oil into the well with your eggs.
Mix with your flat beater on 2 speed for about two minutes. If the dough starts to get too dry add 1/2 tbsp of water.
Change your flat beater for your dough hook and continue to mix on speed 2 for about two minutes.
Take your dough out of your mixer and knead with your hands on your counter into a ball. Cut your ball of dough into 4 pieces.
You will work your way from the lowest setting of your pasta maker (1) to about level 5 or 6. I feed through about 2-3 times on the lower levels (0, 1, 2, and 3) and 1-2 times on the higher levels (4, 5, and 6).
After the first feed through on your lower levels, fold your pasta into a rectangle (folding twice) and feed that rectangle through again. Flour your pasta generously on each side between each feed if it’s feeling sticky. Stickyness will result in your pasta getting stuck on the maker, and holes in your pasta.
Once you get to level 4 or 5, you don’t have to fold your pasta. I sometimes fold mine in half on these levels but will never do more than that. If you do fold it in half, make sure to press the dough down on itself before feeding it through.
Cut your pasta (I usually do linguini sized, but they do have a more spaghetti looking size). Add to boiling water. Your pasta is done cooking once it floats, about 2-4 minutes.
